Episode 4045

Sesame Street
Cookie Monster gets the cookie flu
Air date	April 25, 2003
Season	Season 34 (2003)
Written by	Judy Freudberg
Production November 14, 2002 Sponsors C, 1 Syndication PBS Sprout Releases HBO Max

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Cookie Monster welcomes the viewer on what he considers the greatest day of his life, as he hauls something heavy behind him. He calls out his friends (Big Bird, Elmo, Zoe, Gordon and Maria) to see what he's got - a shopping cart filled with cookies. He explains that he entered a cookie poem contest and won, with the load of cookies being his grand prize. He proceeds to read everyone his poem, entitled Cookie: "Cookie, cookie, cookie, schnookie."
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Everyone steps back as Cookie Monster begins to dig into his winnings. Just as he is about to eat his first one, he suddenly sneezes it away. This happens as he tries eating further cookies. He realizes he might be infected with the Cookie Flu, which his Aunt Muriel had once. His friends propose some medical attention and turn away the local ducktor (he's a quack) and Cookie Monster calls in the monster doctor. He examines Cookie Monster and concludes that he does indeed have the Cookie Flu. The only known cure - to not think about cookies. "That not cure, that impossible," says Cookie. As the doctor tends to another call, his friends all offer to help him.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	To take his mind off cookies, everyone starts reciting the alphabet. Cookie Monster manages to make it to C, before the letter reminds him of cookies. By the time they reach Z, he's thinking about zucchini cookies and still sneezing. Elmo recommends thinking about fish, like his goldfish Dorothy. The others think of fish too, until Cookie comes up with a chocolate chunk elephant salmon and starts sneezing again.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Everyone vows to keep by Cookie's side until he's cured. He becomes touched and starts thinking about how great his friends are. Suddenly, as Zoe reminds him of cookies, he finds he's no longer sneezing. They see that by thinking of his friends instead of cookies, he's rid himself of the Cookie Flu. Cookie Monster happily gobbles down his cookies.
	Film	Jodi goes to the doctor for a check-up. (First: Episode 3526) cut from the Max version
	Celebrity	Elmo and Diane Sawyer sing a song about adding one and two. Zoe wants to sing the song too, so they change it. Soon enough, a large group of friends wants to sing with them.
	Muppets	The Number of the Day: 1 After practicing a few times, The Count hits an organ key, and the number is one. One elephant appears. (First: Episode 4000)
	Film	Wegman dogs: Batty and Crooky stack wood blocks to make the number 1. (new graphics) Original version: (First: Episode 4000) cut from the Sprout version, cut from the Max version
	Cartoon	Number Guy sings "How Many Birds Can Fit on This Wire?" One bird provides the answer. (First: Episode 3338) cut from the Sprout version, cut from the Max version
	SCENE 2	Elmo and Zoe try to find a word that rhymes with fish to finish writing their poem similar to Cookie Monster's poem for cookies.
	Cartoon	Rhyme Time: Frog and Hog went for a jog. Quail hops and meets a Snail. Artist: Karen Aqua
	Muppets	Journey to Ernie: Barnyard Big Bird looks for Ernie at a barnyard by asking questions to the animals there. (First: Episode 4032)
	Muppets	Ernie & Bert — Bert tells Ernie that the perfect way to start the day is with a big bowl of oatmeal. But Ernie disagrees, saying that the "perfect" way to start the day is with a frog, who can count to 100 by tens. The frog ends up "knee-deep" in Bert's oatmeal.
	Muppets	Hero Guy: Hero Guy grows big for his big heroic adventure. When Hero Guy is too big, he shrinks small for his wee-little adventure. (First: Episode 3942)
	Muppets	The Letter of the Day: C Cookie Monster asks The Amazing Mumford to make the cookie with the letter of the day disappear so that he can't eat it. Mumford tries and fails to make the cookie disappear, but Cookie Monster figures out a way to do it... (First: Episode 4004)
	Film	Girls do a hand-clap game about friends whose names start with C. (First: Episode 3277)
	Cartoon	A car drives by the water. (First: Episode 3378)
	Muppets	The Spanish Word of the Day: Casa (First: Episode 3991) cut from the Max version
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Sleep (First: Episode 3983)
	SCENE 3	Big Bird tries to announce the sponsors but they keep hiding from him. He eventually finds them and ends the show.

Notes

• Additional performers include Joey Mazzarino (monster doctor) and John Tartaglia (ducktor).

Alterations

Picture	Segment	Description
	Animation	A group of 1s chant, "We're the number 1!" (First: Episode 3238) This replaced the Wegman's Dogs film in the Sprout and HBO Max versions.
	Cartoon	Suzie Kabloozie: Judge #1 (First: Episode 3928) This replaced the Number Guy cartoon in the Sprout and HBO Max versions.

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